NPR 2009-08-23

Iraqi workers today use huge cranes to put up concrete walls around the Foreign Ministry¹ and other government buildings targeted in suicide truck bombings that killed nearly 100 people three days ago. The move to reinforce Baghdad institutions is a sharp reversal of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's efforts to remove the barriers to make day-to-day life more normal for Iraqis before the January elections. The bombings have shaken confidence in Iraq's stated ability to take charge of its own security.

The Scottish government has responded to a blistering² letter sent by FBI Director Robert Mueller, calling its decision to release the Lockerbie bomber³ “a mockery of justice”. Larry Miller⁴ has more from London.

The Scottish government is unrepentant over its controversial decision to free the terminally ill Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Responding to the FBI director's strong comments, a government spokesman said the right decision had been made for the right reasons on the basis of due process and clear evidence. He went on to say that compassionate⁵ release is not part of the US justice system but it is part of Scotland's. The spokesman also said the FBI chief should be aware that while many of the victims’ families opposed the decision, many others backed it. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Forecasters have downgraded Hurricane Bill to a Category 1 storm as it approaches the eastern US coastline. But the storm could still bring dangerous rip currents as we hear from NPR's Allison Keyes.

The center of the storm is expected to stay offshore⁶ but choppy water and monster waves from the storm are battering⁷ part of the east coast as Bill makes its way north. Storm warnings are in effect in parts of Massachusetts and Canada. And New York City closed some beaches because of rough surf. Beach homeowner, Joe Manwani, along North Carolina's outer bank, says the storm isn't causing too much trouble so far. “You certainly wouldn't wanna be swimming in this. But it’s not causing any significant problems as we can see.” But if you do go for a dip in storm tossed waters and get caught in a rip tide, Connie Harvey of the American Red Cross says try not to panic. “The most important thing you can do is swim parallel to the shore until you’re free of the current.” The storm caused flooding when it hit Bermuda earlier but no major damage. Allison Keyes, NPR News. Washington.

President Obama continues to fight for health care overhaul⁸ and called the notion of so-called death panels “offensive” while Republicans shift away at his support for revamping health care. Mr. Obama tried to regain⁹ control of the debate today and says he still supports a government option. “This alternative would have to operate as any other insurer on the basis of the premiums¹⁰ it collects. And let me repeat, it would just be an option. Those who prefer their private insurers would be under no obligation to shift to a public plan.” The president was speaking in his weekly address. Mr. Obama labels many GOP criticisms as outrageous¹¹ myths. The president said there is no truth to the claim that illegal immigrants will get health insurance under the overhaul. Republicans say the president's plan is too expensive.

This is NPR.

North Korea and South Korea are talking again. Envoys¹² from the North met with South Korea’s Unification Minister today. The meeting lasted about 80 minutes. It is the first high-level talks between the divided Koreas in nearly two years. The North Korean diplomats¹³ are in Seoul attending the funeral of the late South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung, who died on Tuesday. He was 85.

Firefighters in Greece are desperately¹⁴ trying to avert¹⁵ an overnight battle of forest fires about ten miles northeast of the capital Athens. Those fires have already burned out of control for a day, fanned by high winds. And as John Psaropoulos reports, they're only getting worse.

The fire is advancing on several fronts, eating its way through pine forest and shrubland, claiming homes and farmsteads. No fewer than 20 fire drenching¹⁶ aircraft, 78 fire trucks and 260 men are losing this battle. The damage is yet to be tallied¹⁷. Summer camps and homes have been evacuated¹⁸ with many people suffering from smoke inhalation. Even the army has retreated from a base in the area, no match for the seven-force gusts¹⁹. A brown haze²⁰ has kept half of Athens in the shade all day, an ominous²¹ reminder²² of the approaching flames. But with at least 16 new fires a day across Greece, it is highly doubtful that the authorities can muster²³ any more resources. For NPR's News, I'm John Psaropoulos in Athens.

Pakistani officials are investigating reports that the person who carried out the attack on the Sri Lanka cricket team is the new chief of the Pakistani Taliban. Militants²⁴ selected a new boss yesterday to succeed Baitullah Mehsud who apparently²⁵ was killed in a CIA missile strike earlier this month. Reports said the new chief is Hakimullah Mehsud.

I'm Carol Van Dam, NPR News in Washington.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

3 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

6 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

7 battering   

n.用坏，损坏v.连续猛击( batter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The film took a battering from critics in the US. 该影片在美国遭遇到批评家的猛烈抨击。
• He kept battering away at the door. 他接连不断地砸门。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

9 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

10 premiums   

n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价

参考例句：

• He paid premiums on his life insurance last year. 他去年付了人寿保险费。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Moves are afoot to increase car insurance premiums. 现正在酝酿提高汽车的保险费。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

12 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

13 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

15 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

16 drenching   

n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• A black cloudburst was drenching Siena at midday. 中午，一场天昏地暗的暴风雨在锡耶纳上空倒下来。 来自辞典例句
• A drenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheets along the ground. 一阵倾盆大雨泼下来了，越来越大的狂风把它顺着地面刮成了一片一片的雨幕。 来自辞典例句

17 tallied   

v.计算，清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分
• His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句

18 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

19 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

20 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

21 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

22 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

23 muster   

v.集合，收集，鼓起，激起；n.集合，检阅，集合人员，点名册

参考例句：

• Go and muster all the men you can find.去集合所有你能找到的人。
• I had to muster my courage up to ask him that question.我必须鼓起勇气向他问那个问题。

24 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

25 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。